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During prolonged treatment including chemotherapy and surgery she lost her knee joint and part of her tibia bone.

But doctors saved her leg.

“We were able to salvage my limb. And while we worked to salvage the knee joint unfortunately wasn't the case for me. But I have had a great outcome and I feel lucky and really blessed,” Ms Wheeler said.

She is heartened to learn of a new $12 million project to potentially save the limbs and joints of similar cancer patients in future.

The medical and manufacturing collaboration will combine 3D printing and robotic technology in a single surgery.

Robots will be used to precisely cut tumours out of affected bone.

Simultaneously a 3D printer will build a custom-fit implant to perfectly fill the space left by the removed, diseased bone.

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Currently implants can take six weeks to build following surgery.

During this time the bone, joints and tissues around wound site may have changed shape, meaning the replacement implant may no longer accurately fit.

Professor Milan Brandt from RMIT University in Melbourne said this project means patients will receive a tailor made, precise implant almost instantaneously.

“We will be able to print an implant while the patient is on the operating theatre,” Professor Brandt said.